Loner
by WannaBMore
Summary: She likes drinking tea alone, she likes reading alone. She likes eating alone, and listening to music alone. She walks home alone, rides the bus alone. Alone, in the silence is where she can hear her own thoughts and think. She thinks she doesn't need friends, that relationships are overrated. But, everyone's got to have someone.
1. Summary

_Summary:_

Bella Swan

* * *

><p>She likes being alone.<p>

She likes drinking tea alone, she likes reading alone. She likes eating alone, and listening to music alone. She walks home alone, rides the bus alone. Alone, in the silence is where she can hear her own thoughts and think.

Her friends have long since stopped trying to get through to her years ago. Her parents have started to worry so much that articles and books have started to pile up. They lay strewn around kitchen and den with big scary titles like:

Preference-for-Solitude and Adjustment Difficulties in Early and Late Adolescence.

But, what her parents don't realize is that its going to take more than a shrink and a complete yearly subscription of "Parenting: Inside Out!" to understand their only child. And that more just might come in a form least expected.

* * *

><p>Edward Cullen.<p>

Has it all. The friends, the money, the luxury. Hes never-will never have to lift a finger in his lifetime. He doesn't have to worry about trivial things like getting into college, or so he thinks.

Things start to go awry as the one thing he never thought would get him in trouble has: His attendance record. Now, Edwards going to need more than his parents money to keep him on the right path.


	2. Chapter 1

I can hear them arguing down stairs, and I know its about me. Again.

"I'm not saying shes better, I'm just saying that maybe we could give her a break this week!"

I can hear the exasperation in my dads voice. I silently roll my eyes. Like my mom would ever give me a break. She won't stop until shes "fixed" me.

"Charlie, she's getting a little better everyday, we can't just _stop. _Not now!" My mom retorts loudly back.

I wake up to this almost every Monday morning. They fight and argue, but then they decide the same thing they always decide: To make me go to therapy. So, I start to get up and face the inevitable.

I pull on a plain white tee-shirt, overlapping it with a brightly colored striped scarf, denim shorts with a braided brown belt, and my 5 dollar Wet Seal Ruffle sandals. Sighing, I quickly run a brush through my brown hair and smear a coat of mascara on my lashes.

I hear them quiet down as I purposefully stomp down the stairs upon my arrival. My dad gives me a little smile as I walk in, and sips his coffee, turning back to his morning news thats playing on the flat screen overhead the fireplace. Thats one thing I love about my dad. He doesn't hover, ask questions, or try and talk to me. He knows that I have to save my energy, my talking, for the rest of the day.

I just wish my mom could understand like that. She spends her time worrying about things like "my development", and my "health".

Mother is standing at the counter pretending to read the paper. She looks up with mock surprise as I turn towards the cabinets, searching for food. "Look at you! My Bells, up bright and early, ready for the day." She brushes my hair back with one hand, and my face screws up as she turns my head so she can kiss my cheek.

When she leans away, I immediately rub my cheek with the back of my left hand, grab for a peanut butter granola bar with my right, and head for the keys in a decorative bowl the middle of the dark granite island counter top.

"Bella, please don't forget your session with Dr. Ross is this afternoon. I wouldn't want you to forget another one like last time." Theirs a slight edge to her voice and I know she can tell that I didn't forget the last one, I just didn't go.

I know she's forgiving me for it now, so I just nod and reach for my jacket on the post by the door.

I close the front door lightly behind me and make a beeline for my car. When I get there I open it and sit. I sit there breathing slowly, glad to finally be alone. Alone. My hands clenched on the wheel and my body is hunched over, my forehead digging into the leather. My eyes are closed and I listen to the silence.

I … Love my mom. I do. I go along with her treatment plans and her therapy and her trials. I know she doesn't want to be a bad mom. She doesn't want to be the mom with the kid who rarely talks, the mother of the kid who has no friends.

About three years ago, when I started to really shut down around people, I stopped talking for a year in school. Selective muteness. Yeah maybe a cliche in some teen fiction stories but for me it was my life. I would answer yes or no questions sometimes, but it was as if my mouth has lost all function or energy to speak. I don't know why. I just … didn't have anything mention-able or noteworthy to say, so I stayed quiet. I started ignoring people and the guidance counselor would call, asking questions about my life at home.

My friends finally stopped trying to get through to me, they would tell their parents something was wrong with me and soon after that my parents would get calls from the neighborhood. People looked at them differently, as if they had hurt me, scared my so bad I just stopped talking. And I just didn't have the strength to tell them that I just didn't know what to say.

It's better now, I know that. I've learned how to fool some of the people some of the time, into thinking I'm just quiet, or shy. But I know that solitude is like oxygen for me, and too much time spent with people, and big crowds drains me at my core.

But I do it because I know it hurts my mom. I know it hurts her to have to go into the office, with all her co-workers who talk so highly of her kids, and she can't say anything for herself.

So I let people prod and poke me. Ask me random and personal questions. I listen to teen seminars and go to youth group every Sunday. I guess I just haven't found a single person who I would really like to listen to. Or talk to. I mean it's just not worth it. What's the point? Talking to people? About dumb stuff like movies, lunch or girls hair. But, I do it.

Even though it hurts.

Talking I mean. Making small talk.

Talking about nothing hurts.


	3. Chapter 2

As Lauren Mallory set her elbows down with her lunch tray and pushed her boobs up to her collarbones, everyone knew what she was doing.

"You played _really, really_ good last night." Lauren said. She twirled a piece of bleached blonde hair with one finger and spoke loudly over the riot of the high school cafeteria

I looked over to my best friend Jasper on my left-hand side and raised an eyebrow. The message was clear, _why was she talking to me?_ Jasper chuckled a little and shrugged, leaning back in his seat and slinging his arm around the chair next to him.

"Thanks." I responded, taking a sip of my lemonade. _Well_. I wanted to correct her. _He played really well_.

Lauren giggled obnoxiously and scooted her chair closer towards me. "I bet those scouts are just knocking down your door!"

I shrugged. I felt extremely bored with this conversation. Lauren Mallory was always trying to paw at me. Ever since I came to Forks two years ago she was always around me, trying to keep me on a short leash. It was funny to me, that she thought we had some kind relationship.

She should know that I don't really have relationships with people. There was Jasper, and he was probably my only real friend, but I still only keeps him at arms length at all times. I don't really believe in getting that close to people. In the end, they always burn you. I have somewhat of a relationship with my parents too, but it was that of an acquaintance. They try to give me rules and give crap, and they don't know anything about me.

I have no rules. I do what I want, when I want. Sleep with whomever I want. Because I'm Edward Cullen.

Not only does my family live on a bounty of old money that basically controls this entire town, I'm devilishly handsome. I know what girls think of me, and I use that to my advantage. Parents in Forks tell their daughters to get as close to me as they can. Girls are practically lining up for a spot as Mrs. Cullen. And Lauren? Well this was just her way of handing in her resume.

Lauren paused, as if she was at loss of what to say. "Um, well,-"

But a long bell interrupted her.

I sighed in relief. Getting up and putting my tray down my the trash, I ignored her attempts to lure me back into conversation and walked speedily down the hall to catch up with Jasper who had speedily left the cafeteria.

I sought down the hallway until I saw Jasper's back, leaning against his locker talking to someone.

"Jasper, man slow down." I said. Finally catching up to him at his locker. He looked startled and slightly nervous as he turned back to speak to me.

A flip of black hair in the corner of my eye and I realized he was talking to my little sister, Alice. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Alice, beat it. How many times have I told you to stop trying to talk to my friends."

Alice rolled her eyes petulantly, gripping her backpack harshly. "What friends do you have?" She jibed snidely back.

She looks like shes about to say something more but I ignore her, and push her out of the way to get to my locker. I spoke to Jasper over my shoulder, "God, that Lauren girl is a piece of work a swear. How long before she takes a hint?"

"I don't know man, you gotta stay away from girls like that." Jasper says, and turned back to his locker.

Alice lets out an irritated sigh and jerks in front of me. "I actually came for _you."_

"What?" I say finally exasperated.

"Moms here." She says. "She got here a while ago and shes asking for you in the principal's office."

I look at her now, in disbelief. "What? Why the fuck is she here."

"I just _said _I don't _know_, Edward." Alice jerks her books closer to her chest and exits into the storming hallway without a second glance.

Jasper watches her walk away. I slam my locker door. "Yeah I know shes so annoying sometimes."

"What?" Jasper seems confused.

"Alice." I say obviously.

"Oh, um, yeah." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "So are you going to go?"

"Go where?" I start walking towards my car, flipping my keys in my hand.

"To the office. I thought Alice-your sister-said that your mom was there, talking to Mr. Lomso."

I stop and turn toward him. "So? Jasper what gotten into you today."

He raises his eyebrows, "I just thought-"

"Listen Jas," I say. "You know I don't give a fuck if my moms here or not. And I don't give a shit about what Mr. Lomso tells her about my 'poor attendance record'. I only have like two years left in this shit hole. Like this really even matters. I mean-"

"EDWARD CULLEN PLEASE REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE" a loud annoying voice of what could only be Mr. Lomso shot across the hallway.

I stopped and looked up at the monitor. Now everyone in the hallway was staring, and the girls in the corner where whispering.

"Shit."


End file.
